This volume is based on a study of nearly twenty-five thousand animal bones that were recovered during excavations at Arroyo Hondo Pueblo. The goals of the faunal analysis were to explore and analyze the Pueblo’s (1) natural environment; (2) wild animal exploitation; (3) processing of game; (4) animal husbandry; and (5) trade in animals and animal products. The analysis of faunal remains by Richard W. Lang and Arthur H. Harris makes an important contribution to our understanding of the settlement’s environment and culture. Because of his earlier work with the pottery from Arroyo Hondo, Lang was able to group the animal bones into ceramically defined chronological samples. This chronological control then allowed the authors to examine changes through time in the natural environment and in hunting patterns.

This volume offers a thorough reconstruction of the faunal portion of Arroyo Hondo Pueblo’s economy, and it makes clear the significance of animal resources within that economy. The authors cover a breadth of topics, including the prehistoric climate, vegetation, changing hunting patterns, butchering techniques, trade, the definition of Arroyo Hondo’s hunting territory, and the domestication of the turkey. One important contribution is their demonstration that, by dividing the animal remains into chronologically ordered samples, the faunal material can be used to assess changes through time in the physical environment.